I want to create a layer and place a grid in it. I want the other layers (they have the walls, doors, stairs, ...) to be on top of the first layer, covering the grid. I tried placing the grid with ctrl+' but the grid always comes on top of all the other layers. Does anyone know how I can "lock" the grid on one layer, so it can be seen only in rooms and corridors?

Ascension

09-19-2009, 01:51 PM

Your grid has to be a raster object, ie it has to be drawn lines. Ctrl + ' puts an auto gird on top of everything because it is not a real layer or anything, it is more similar to guides in this regard. You can also turn this on/off by clicking View - Show - Grid.

Here's what you do: make an image say 10 x 10 pixels, white background, make a new layer then use a 1 pixel pencil and draw a black line down one side of the image and across the top of the image, hide the "background layer", then click on Edit - Define Pattern and call it "10 pixel grid". Close this image and then on your dungeon make a new layer and click Edit - Fill - Pattern = use the "10 pixel grid pattern". Voila! You now have a black and clear grid that you can erase or use masks on etc.

If that grid size is too small then make some others...I use 10, 20, 25, 33, 50, 67, 75, 100, and 200. Save them all as patterns and you'll never run short and you can also use them as pattern overlays on a layer style or as a texture for a bevel.

Coyotemax

09-19-2009, 03:17 PM

I actually found another way to make the grid, took me less than 30 seconds, I used it on my dungeon map. Thanks for reminding me, I was going to share it. (I just got hold of the Photoshop CS3 Bible - I've barely made it through the Meet the Tools section, and I'm already learning a lot of cool stuff)

Photoshop's least used tools - Single Row Marquee and Single Column Marquee!

They're hidden under the Rectangular and Elliptical Marquee.

So, make sure rulers are turned on (Ctrl-R). Also, have your grid turned on for even easier usage (Ctrl-' and set through Preferences - for example, 100 pixels) and set yourself up for Snap To Grid if you don't already. Select your Single Column Marquee tool (* see below for keyboard command info) and move your mouse to the 100pixel column, click once. Ensure "Add To Selection" (right underneath the Image menu option) is chosen, then just click at 200 300, 400, so on. Swap to Single Row Marquee tool and do the same going downwards. Zoom in a bit, then paint bucket the selection with your chosen colour. Deselect, and booyah. Alternatively you can use the selection to make a mask, but I'm not as comfortable with that yet so I'm not going to address it fully here :)

I also ran a Gaussian Blur set to 1.0 and then adjusted transparency option, but that's of course optional depending on the effect you're after.

(*note)(these tools are so infrequently used, Adobe didn't bother to give them a keyboard shortcut - but you can modify that in versions of photoshop that allow you to customize commands should you feel the need)